At age 16, Ethiopia’s tiny Meskerem Legesse toed the starting line in the 1500m at the 2003 Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon.
A little over four minutes later, she finished third behind world-class stars Jolanda Ceplak of Slovenia and Suzy Favor Hamilton of the U.S. in an African Junior record of 4:03.96. It was also the fastest time ever run by a 16-year-old.
Now her sights are set higher toward the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, and Legesse will highlight the internationally flavoured women’s 1500m in The Home Depot Invitational on Saturday, 22 May at The Home Depot Center on the campus of California State
University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California.
She will be challenged by Canada’s Courtney Babcock, who posted the 11th fastest time in the world last season at 4:01.99, and by Americans Nicole Teter and Shayne Culpepper.
Culpepper's challenge
Teter was the American 800m champion in 2002 and is a favourite to make the U.S. Olympic team in both the 800 and 1500. Culpepper scored a rare U.S. distance medal in international competition with her breakthrough bronze-winning performance in the 3000m in the World Indoor
Championships in Budapest in March. She finished behind other Ethiopian stars Meseret Defar and Berhane Adere.
Culpepper was a U.S. Olympian in the 1500m in 2000 when she ran her lifetime best of 4.07.99. Given her success in the 3000m in the World Indoors, the results of the Home Depot
Invitational will help determine whether she tries for the U.S. team in the 1500 or the 5000.
She will try to join husband Alan Culpepper on the U.S. team; Alan Culpepper won the U.S. marathon trials in February. The U.S. Olympic Trials will be held from July 9-18 in Sacramento.
Other highlights
The women’s 1500 is only one of 15 world-class events at The Home Depot Invitational. Other featured events will be the 100 metres, with defending Olympic champions Maurice Greene and
Marion Jones on hand, the women’s 100m Hurdles with the legendary Gail Devers battling Canada’s reigning World champion Perdita Felicien and the men’s Pole Vault with defending Olympic champion Nick Hysong of the U.S. will face off with 2001 world champion Dmitri Markov of Australia and U.S. record-holder Jeff Hartwig among others.
